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A Veteran's Tail
Previous - Good Will Hunting A few days had passed since Cyn's eventful night with the Magic Council. Since then, they'd largely left her alone, simply giving her a rough timeline of when they expected to take off again. Cyn stretched. Since the debacle, she had ample time to think about what she had agreed to. Some hours were spent staring up at the sky, wondering why the hell she thought it was a good idea, other times she considered giving Hanna a fright. Cyn would pay good money to see Hanna's expression when Cyn proved just how many of those fairy tales the RK Captain dismissed were actually true. Other than planning this little endeavor, Cyn took the time to wander. She documented the foods she ate, and the animals she found. Occasionally the Rune Knight encampment would hear a gunshot sound in the distance, evidence of Cynisca finding her quarry. Sometimes she would strut into the Rune Knight camp for a hot second, a massive kill slung over her shoulder, a cheeky grin present as she toted her gun with the other shoulder. Cynisca quickly discovered just how much shock value that image provided; never mind the endless giggles she had seeing their blanching, stupefied expressions. Beyond that, she slept several kilometers away from the sprawling encampment, wanting rest and her starry, cloud flecked sky uninterrupted by man. Unlike her previous rest stops Cynisca kept her gun tucked safely away in her dimension. No telling if one of those cheeky Rune Knights might try to take it. Finally, the day arrived. The council wrapped up their business and quickly closed up shop, settings coarse for their next destination. It wasn't Emeralace however, as was initially suggested. Out of fear that a ship flying Council colors would tip off their target, it was decided that Hanna and Cyn would be dropped off at another nearby island, then travel to Emeralace on their own. This would give them the element of surprise, but also cut them off from any backup, should something go wrong. Given how much hunting prowess Cyn had displayed during the past few days, Hanna decided that this was an acceptable risk to take, despite Florz' advising otherwise. Her concern lay more for the civilians, should a fight break out. Crooked Cross wasn't one to care of the safety of bystanders, but there was no telling how they might react to being cornered. As such, Florz insisted that the pair of them carry Lacrima communicators to stay in contact. As the two women stepped off the pear ant into the main city, Hanna began explaining how to use their Lacrima communicators to Cyn, for probably the tenth time that day. "Remember, they can hear what we hear, so you don;t have to activate them." She said, pointing to her collar, where her communicator was hidden away. "An nobody but us will hear what my team says, so don't worry about that..." Cyn let out a frustrated sigh. "Do I look illiterate to you? You don't need to explain this to me like I'm an idiot. I'm not some feral child you plucked from the forest." She said, wagging her finger. For the sake of appearing hospitable, she wasn't carrying her weapon on her, instead remaining empty handed. One hand in particular itched, probably missing that familiar hold. "So... What's the plan? We drop in, say hi, and have a fireside chat? What are the chances of this going sideways?" Cyn asked, her footfalls light as they walked. "If a fight breaks out... We do what we have to do." Hanna said shortly, her hand moving a little closer to the sword on her hip. She quickly shook her head, gaining a more cheerful look on her face when she looked up again. "But... Hopefully it won't come to that." "Just get him talking." Florz' voice echoed form within Cyn's head. "We'll monitor the conversation, keep an eye out for any inconsistency's, wait for him to slip up... It's all we really can do right now. Our only proof is some smugglers scribbleing's, after all." "Great. Sounds like a plan toucan sam," Cyn saluted mockingly even though she knew Florz wouldn't be able to see it. Still, it was funny to her that they continued to treat her like a fragile piece of glass. Did she look that dainty? Oh well. "So, how much further do we have to go until we meet the man of the hour?" "Well, the town isn't that big. And it's mostly geared for tourists, to having a routeen would make you stand out a bit around here." Hanna said with a slight smile. "Apparently, he's known to frequent a particular coffee shop around noon. Which should mean he's right around..." As the two women rounded the corner, the next street turned into a bustle of activity. The pear was relatively empty, giving Hanna the impression that they had arrived in the off season. The scene before them though, proved quite the contrary. The streets where lined with shops, each having their own lavish display of trinkets, clothes, and souvenirs. between which, was a bustling crowd of vacationers. couples, looking to make memory, family's trying to keep track of their young children, collectors looking for a rare find. The once quiet town had turned into a bustle of activity. "There..." Hanna muttered, dropping her shoulders disparagingly. "Crap..." Cyn's reaction was the opposite. The barrage of goods for sale improved her mood immediately, her gaze starry-eyed as she began windowing shopping on a whim. "Hmm, that looks nice, but so do those...they're all innocent items though. I need the magical goods..maybe a weapons shop?" She started towing Hanna along so she wouldn't lose her in the throng. "Why the sad face? This is good. Where's the coffee shop? I'd like a quick bite and drink," She added, stopping for a second to orient herself. "Y-yeah..." She muttered under her breath. She'd hoped that the streets would've been empty, minimizing the chance that civilians would be caught in the crossfire if a battle broke out. Now that she thought about it though, expecting the shopping district of a tourist town to be empty by midday was a foolish idea. "It shouldn't be too far up the road. It's supposed to have a big patio, so it'll be pretty easy to spot." Hanna gestured down the crowded street. "I mean... relatively..." "Enough moping. You need some good food in your belly," Cyn decided, towing Hanna along as she spotted the coffee joint in the distance. She cleaved her way through the crowd, several "excuse me!" and "move yourselves" being muttered as she plowed through the throng, aiming for the patio. It seemed almost bathed in a divine glow, set above the teeming masses as it was. "Almost there! I can smell the roasting beans already." Hanna popped through the crowd, cradling her shoulder after Cyn roughly tugged her through the crowd. Irritated, she looked back to tell her off, when her eyes fell on their target. The unmistakable blue uniform that was standard among the Bantian Military made him stand out. And even if it hadn't, the two sabers propped up on the table next to him certainly would have. Sitting on the other end of the patio, sipping on his coffee while simultaneously reading a newspaper, sat Gregor Nemian. Forgetting about Cyn's recent antics, Hanna's eyes grew focused. She strolled across the patio, silently shaking away a waitress who approached her. "Excuse me, Captain Nemian?" She said one she was at the table, her hand never leaving her hip. "Yes?" He looked up from his newspaper surprised, allowing a small piece of a half eaten muffin to fall from his mustache. "O-oh, excuse me a moment." He hastily lay his paper down and wiped his mouth, then looked up at the two women again. "How may I help you?" An eye-patch....suspicious. Nonetheless, Cyn smiled warmly. "Oh, I was just looking for a place to sit." She said, gesturing to the crowded establishment. "Do you mind if we take these two open seats? I promise not to be a bother, except when SOMEONE forgets about breakfast." she glowered at Hanna good-naturedly. Not waiting for an answer, she sat down with a happy sigh, waving back the waitress Hanna sent away. "I'll take two blueberry muffins and a breakfast sandwich; sausage, egg and cheese on a croissant. Also a lemonade iced tea. It's too early for coffee. Thanks." She then sent away the waitress with that order. As Cyn took a seat, Hanna stared at her wide eyed, completely dumbfounded. Was that seriously how Cyn thought acting casual looked like? her surprise was only broken when a muffled snicker echoed through the radio. "OK, now i'm concerned." FLorz chuckled. Likewise, Gregor tilted his head slightly, watching as the waitress returned with Cyn's order. "I... Take it you're not here to see the sights, then?" He said, glancing between the two women. He glanced at the third chair, the one nearest where his swords where resting, and slowly reached out for them. A knot instantly formed in Hanna's stomach, and she tightened her hold on her belt, but Gregor lay the weapons harmlessly by his feet and gestured for her to sit as well. all this, without so much as looking at her. "Please, join me. It's not often I have two young lady's pay me a visit." Cyn ignored Hanna's dumbfounded expression and Florz's chuckles, making herself comfortable. She thanked the waitress after receiving the food, digging into one of the muffins for a bit before responding. "Oh I am, but seeing the sights isn't just about visiting places for me. It's about meeting the inhabitants. I like to collect stories; whether they are biographies of famous people, fables, or folklore no one believes in. There's something amazing about the imagination and how rests in places and people you know? But I'm a storyteller at heart, so having the opportunity to learn from the good horse's mouth is something I can't pass up." "So tell me your story." Her golden eyes shined with her usual curiosity. Gregor's eyes narrowed slightly, loosing the welcoming look he'd began the conversation with. "My... Story?" He repeated, leaning back in his chair. "I'm sure there are other stories out there that would catch your fancy, young lady." He chuckled slightly, though form the look on his face, it was something he had to force himself to do. "Mine isn't a satisfying tale. Not like some of the other legends you must've heard." Cyn ate her second muffin. She nodded. "Yep, your story. And why is that? It's not just about pie in the sky. I like to hear what everyone has to say; that's how I get a feel for the place I'm visiting," Cynisca added, before her eyes turned pleading. "Pleeeasseeee?" Leaning back in his seat, Gregor interlocked his fingers and rested his arms on the table. After contemplating it for a few seconds, he let out a long sigh and began to speak. "I'm assuming, you want the famous one then? Nobody ever comes for the tale of the mundane patrol, or of the uneventful scouting mission..." He chuckled to himself, glancing at Hanna just as she finished whispering her order to the waitress. "We want to know about the fortress." She nodded quickly,relaxing a little in her seat. "We read that you repelled three different army's in the span of a week, trying to breach the walls of the fort you commanded." A slight grin cut across Gregor's face, but he remained staring at the coffee-cup before him. "Technically, it was only two army's, then a raiding party who's numbers had been bolstered by those who had retreated from the first two attacks." When he finally looked up at them, pained wrinkles had begun to crease his forehead. "I suppose the history books speak of that third attack as a last ditch effort to push through, don't they?" "Hold on..." Florz' voice came through the girl's communicators, followed by the sound of shuffling paper. "That's not in any of the records. Everything suggests that the third assault was a full blown invasion." Cyn wags a finger. "See, that's where you're wrong. I want all of it; even the boring stuff. That's how you build yourself up for the famous legend," she stated before falling silent. "Three armies in a week??!! How?? That takes serious stamina! Did you use magic? Physical strength? Or pure badassery?" Her questions flowed like a bubbling stream, ignoring Florz's confusion. That Gregor called the third party a mere raid didn't matter. Despite his grim expression, Gregor began to chuckle. "Well, as flattering as you make it sound... No. Superior tactics and luck where what brought us victory." Slowly, he began rearranging the cutlery at the table, creating a V shape around a small salt shaker. "Ours was the sole fortress guarding a mountain pass between two country's. Leading an entire army over these mountains, with all their equipment and supplies, would've caused substantial losses, and marching around would've taken time. So, our enemy's decided it best to simply charge on through the front gate, casualty's be damned." Cyn smirked. "Yeah yeah, I guess that helps. Still, having three armies battering your walls would cause most to break, no matter how many casualties you could hand out. More than luck was on your side; skill was there too," she responded before leaning back. She popped the last of her meal into her mouth, before sighing happily. "That shit was great; this joint is definitely seeing me again." "You've quite the way with world, young lady." Gregor nodded, but his expression remained unchanged. "Honestly, the first battle was the hardest. We had been caught off guard, and by the time we had mustered, the enemies where almost through the gate. I lost maybe a third of my men that night..." A chill shot up Hanna's spine. The thought of loosing her men like that, even against overwhelming odds, made her blood run cold. "I'm..." She stuttered, realizing her voice came out as barely a whisper. "I'm sor-." "We saw the second attack coming." Gregor continued, either ignoring Hanna, or having lost himself in the retelling. "Again, they threw themselves at us. No real tactics, no attempt to outwit us... Just a simple directive, get through the gate." He paused a moment to take a sip of his coffee, then leaned back in his seat and tapped at his eye-patch. "Two squads of men where able to break through the walls, and one of them took my eye before we where able to force them back." "A third....ouch," Cyn commented sympathetically. She made no mention of the battles her mother had waged, of the things she overheard as a too curious child going where they shouldn't. "So that's where it came from. I was about to ask about the eyepatch; not that it's a bad look. It gives off a rugged charm," she continued, filing away this information for later. Cynisca couldn't help but feel there was more though. "Still...three armies with the same objective, and no strategy. What was so valuable or important that they needed to breach those gates? At all costs it seems." Gregor opened his mouth, put no sound passed his lips. He sat frozen in place, bu the ends of his mouth slowly curled into a slight smile, and he relaxed in his chair. "You know... You're the first person in a long time to ask me that." He sounded calm, but there was a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Most people just want to hear of the heroic battles. The speeches and sacrifices... The things you see in the movies. All very arbitrary, wouldn't you say?" Hanna shifted slightly, taking a small sip of her coffee. His tone was a little out of sorts. if it weren't for the smile he wore, he'd have sworn he was angry. "So... Was there some strategic advantage to breaching the fortress?" She said, glancing at the little diagram of napkins and cutlery Gregor had lay out for them. "Very observant of you." Gregor's tone broke, now sounding like a proud teacher. His smile widening, he sat up straight and continued his explanation. "Well, as i said, it sat blocking the only passage through a treacherous mountain range. Therefor: whoever controlled it could dictate who could come and go. With impassable mountain ranges making up a natural defense on either side, it also provided an excellent staging ground in the event of an invasion." He leaned back and chuckled. "Which, despite what the history books will tell you, was indeed what they where after." Cynisca noted this reaction, continuing to wear an expression of open curiosity even as her mind started calculating. "I mean, those are all very nice too, but I like the whole tale. It's important to me as a storyteller." Her curiosity then broke into a grin. "Ah ha, the final stand. They wanted the easy route in huh. Well, easier when you have an army to move," she started before shaking her head, "they're only impassable if you can't think of a way to pass them. Why invade though?" Gregor's grimace persisted. He appeared to have lost himself to his thoughts, and began speaking like he hadn't heard the latter part of Cyn's question. "The whole tale...?" He said, slowly crossing his arms. "The whole tail, young lady, is that we won the battle, but lost the war..." At that moment, the waitress returned to check on them, oblivious to the conversation they where having. "Can i get you three anything else? 'Nother cup of coffee perhaps?" "N-no, I'm not finished yet." Hanna shook her head, feeling goosebumps break out over her skin. The waitress took the hint, tucking her serving trey under her arm and backed away. "What do you mean? Everyone says that battle stopped the foreign army's cold." She saw the persistent grimace, filing this away too. "Won the battle but lost the war huh...." Cyn's mind raced at this comment. "Do you mean those three armies were just a distraction? Had they already infiltrated in another manner? Trade routes, sleeper agents? Endemic corruption? Or perhaps bad apples at the top, which you remained happily unaware enough until well...it was too late. Propaganda's a powerful tool when used effectively," Cynisca commented. She waved the waitress back. "Can I have some peach flavored green tea? I could use some caffeine right about now." Half eavesdropping while polishing the next table over, the waitress abruptly looked up and nodded. As she headed back inside to fill Cyn's order, Gregor took a moment to relax. "I suppose I should clarify." he said, sitting upright in his chair, interlocking his fingers, and resting his arms on the table. Hanna recognized the pose from her superior, it was the same, exact way the chairman of her division sat when giving a beefing. "We where told... That Reinforcements would be arriving after the second army attacked. When the third battle began, many of us considered ourselves dead men, but we still fought to the bitter end, because it was what we where there to do." He paused a moment, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "We... out of desperation, devised a plot to seal off the canyon. Ten men would carry explosives high up into the mountains; then cause a rock slide that would cut off the enemy's advance..." "Wait, we have this part." Florz mumbled into the earpiece. A few shuffling papers could be heard in the background, before his voice returned again. "The battle was ended by a sudden avalanche, which decimated a large portion of the enemy force while they where still advancing." The communicator suddenly went quiet for a few moments, only broken when they heard him turn another page. "But..." Hanna, waited for him to continue. History was never a forte of hers, but she knew when a story was leading up to a bad ending. "But...?" She mumbled aloud. Despite her slip up, Gregor paid it no mind. "But... Those men never came back." He said solemnly. "From what I've heard, they encountered a group of hostile spies, looking for another way into the fortress. And i suppose one of them... Made sure to do what they set out to do..." Cyn. "From the way it sounds, those reinforcements never arrived, betrayal then? Or maybe political intrigue. That's always fun; until someone gets hurt, or worse. Either way, something or someone in the chain of command smells rotten," she commented aloud. Unlike Hanna, she avoided a slip-up when Florz spoke. "So those men never came back huh....made sure to do what they set out to do? Setting off the explosives? Or the spies finding another avenue in?" Cyn asked, stretching her legs out a bit. She couldn't help but wonder if someone was lying, but chose to voice neither of those opinions. "No... They finished their mission." Gregor shook his head. "The canyon collapsed, cutting off our enemy's advance. And while the invaders where flustered, we slaughtered them to a man." A notable grimace formed on his face, and a small vain began to pulse on the old man;s wrinkled forehead. "But... Rather than aid us in keeping the fortress secure, our reinforcements had us evacuate and abandon our post." He took a deep breath, the wrinkles in his forehead growing deeper. "In our absence, our enemy cleared the canyon, and occupy the fortress to this very day. All the sacrifices we made, the good men we lost... In the end, it all amounted to nothing..." Hanna was stunned. That wasn't how she remembered the report going. She racked her brain, thinking maybe she'd missed something. But no matter how deep she dug, she couldn't put the pieces together. "Thats..." She muttered, barely able to organised a sentence. Lifting his coffee cup to his lips, the wrinkles in Gregors face slowly shrunk. By the time he placed the cup down again, he wore the same, small smile he had when they first approached them. "So ladies, was that the kind of story you where looking for? Is your curiosity satisfied?" Cyn smirked. "Oh it does; I love a good story about political intrigue and backstabbing. Any other juicy bits? Like, I don't know, them actually giving you a reason for a) why reinforcements took so long and b) they made you retreat after you overcame significant odds? You almost sound like the Spartan story where they guard the pass." While Hanna was speechless, Cyn couldn't help but relish this tale; she wanted to know where it went next. Did he cut ties? Was he actually part of this dark guild they were chasing? It was riveting. Gregor just stared back at her in the face of her questions. From the look on his face, she hadn't responded in the way he'd expected. "Well, you see..." He mumbled, taking a few moments to compose himself. "Seeing the force our enemy brought to muster against us... Our superiors deemed it not practical to reinforce our position, but rather to fall back and fortify just beyond the mountains." Thinking for a moment, Hanna became confused. "But... wouldn't that be a more advantageous position?" She muttered, thoughtfully rubbing her chin to think. "If you position yourself out in the open, you'd still force your enemy's into a bottleneck. And you could maneuver your troupes much more easily." A grimace formed on Gregor's face. "Yes, i believe that was the thought process they had gone through when they made their decision." An edge in his voice made Hanna realize that she's spoken out of turn, but Gregor began to speak before she could make an apology. "But that's not the point. Many good men died holding that position, only for them to say that it wasn't worth defending. Needless to say that pretty much shattered any faith me and my surviving troupes had in our high command." He let out a long sigh by the end of his rant, then drained the last of his coffee in one single swing. "As for your first question, young lady... I'm afraid I never really got a straight answer as to why reinforcements took so long to muster." Cyn could tell that she had caught him off guard a bit, something which amused her. She was smart enough to not let it show though. "They never gave you a straight answer huh...sounds about right. What I want to know is why it took them so long to come to that conclusion; that's something which should been thought of from the get-go. As my uncle said: preparation prevents piss-poor performance," she added, letting sympathy creep into her tone. Having a bunch of higher ups smothering you without explanation was something she was familiar with. "Hmmf." Gregor barely suppressed a laugh. "Incompetence? indecisiveness? Who's to say? Fog of war, and all that." he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm sorry miss, but some questions just don't have satisfying answers." "I'm a little busy here." Florz' voice suddenly carried through the communicator the moment Gregor fell silent. "Wait, what?" A few moments of muffled voices followed. Hanna quickly grabbed at her drink and took a long sip just to give herself something to do, before Florz spoke again. "Dammit... Hanna, I'll be right back. I think we've found something." "So tell me then." Gregor spoke up after an uncomfortably long silence. "What brings you here?" He asked, resting his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers. Cyn nodded. "That's how it goes I guess," she started before wiggling her toes, "Same reason as always: the thrill of the road and the adventures, people, and stories it brings. I'm from a continent well...east of here. Have you heard of Ishgar? That's the continent I hail from. My mom used to be an extensive traveler herself, so I gained the whole thirst for adventure from her. Also all of her old maps, books and manuscripts." "Like I said though, I like learning about everything where I go, from the locals to the language to the scenery, to the animals. Even the skeletons in the closet; good, bad, or ugly I want to learn about it. It's landed me in a tight spot now and then, but you don't grow otherwise, you know?" "I see. That sounds like quite the lifestyle." Gregor nodded, putting on a bright smile. "But I was referring to our dark haired Council mage here." Hanna abruptly sat up straight, returning her hands to her lap. "W-what?" Had she slipped up? Said something wrong? She couldn't think of anything that had given her up. Sure, she was nervous, but would that really have given her up? "I'm... Uh..." "Young lady, I knew who you worked for the moment you sat down." Gregor continued, raising a hand. Hanna narrowed her eyes at him, but he began to chuckle. "Forgive me, I mean no offence... But you carry yourself like a solder. Any former militarily member of my age could pick you out from a mile away." He rested his hands on the table and leaned back in his chair, looking oddly relaxed. "So, I'll ask again, what brings you two here?" And they were worried about her blowing the cover? Cyn found that laughable; Gregor was right, anyone with an eye could tell who Hanna worked for. She knew for a fact that she could have profiled Hanna had she not known the MC. It helped that Cyn's mother had taught her what to look for; their homeland had a fraught relationship with the magic council after all. "Well? He asked you a question hun." Hanna half opened her mouth to respond, but her voice caught in her throat. She'd heard from several of her superiors that she needed to act more professional, so having someone pick her out like this was a little jarring. More so that Cyn had just gone along with it. It seemed unlikely that Gregor would believe her if she tried to deny it, but it still bugged her that she was so quick to oust her as well. "We..." She began, deciding to just move along now. "Where investigating a criminal weapons cash a few islands over. During the raid, we discovered some connection to a..." She paused a moment, realizing she'd better be careful what to reveal. "A larger criminal organisation." Gregor interlocked his fingers, and rested his arms on the table. "I see." He nodded, slowly narrowing his eye. "And... What part do I play in this situation?" Cyn grinned. "Well, a name's being thrown around in conjunction with this organization. I believe the term was...White Lion? You wouldn't happen to know anything about those two together, would you?" She couldn't help but find Hanna's discomfort adorable, given how uptight she seemed earlier. The MC mage really needed to sharpen her acting skills. A slight chuckle escaped Gregor's lips. "White Lion..." He muttered with a smile. "I do believe that's what some of my subordinates refereed to me as." He sat back, raising a finger. "Though, I couldn't say why. I've never actually seen a lion with white fur before. What do they call it though? Albinism?" Realizing they where getting off track, Hanna quickly interjected. "Why would your moniker be listed among their contacts?" She said shortly. "Well, I'm hopeful it's not a list of assassination targets." He laughed to himself, so did Cyn, but Hanna's flat expression told him to quickly move along. "It could be a mere coincidence. I didn't chose the name myself, but I've heard those with ill repute often give themselves nicknames to boost their reputation." Hanna began to ponder this, but Gregor continued with a sly grin. "Though, another explanation could be that it was simply meant to confuse any who happen across it. Because it seems to have done a fairly good job of that." "You don't say...." Cyn responded with a smirk of her own, "Everyone likes to latch onto big reputations. Maybe one of your subs decided to put some respect on your name. Or someone just thought it sounded nice. That's all speculation though." Cyn flagged down a waiter. "Could we have the check please? If I sit any longer I'll be a potato." The waiter nodded, collecting a load of other dishes from another table before heading inside. While they waited, Hanna ran trough the conversation in her mind. Nothing stood out to her, but Gregor seemed to have an answer of every question, which didn;t exactly sit right to her. THen again, if he'd made her out to be a Council Mage from the moment she sat down, then she couldn;t really trust anything he told her, could she? Or maybe... He really wasn't involved. Despite her gut feeling, that's the only logical conclusion she could come to. "I'm..." She began, frustrated that this had gone nowhere. "I'm sorry for-." "Hanna!" Florz voice suddenly boomed through their communicator, bringing a shrill, static tone that made both Hanna and Cyn cringe. "Hanna, you've got to hear this." Cyn managed to hide her cringe with a burp, followed by another. She waved away the smell as it reached her nose. The woman made a note to wring Florz's neck the next time she saw him. "Eh, ignore Hanna; she's super awkward," Cyn said as the check landed on their table. She pulled a pouch out of her pocket before rifling through the various currencies it contained. "There we are." Cyn proceeded to dump a bit more than the correct amount on the table, before putting away the rest. "Quit laughing for a second and listen." Florz barked, sounding rushed. "Hanna, we've uncovered a second stash the next island over. We're mobilizing right now, so we need our commander back here." "Well, thank you for the talk." Gregor nodded slightly, adding his amount to the check. "Looks like you two are in a bit of a hurry, so i won;t keep you. Suddenly, a thought came to Hanna's mind. She couldn't make a call one way or the other about Gregor's innocence, but that was just because he'd had an answer for every question they'd asked him. This might be another way to get some information. Something a little more, provoking. She glanced at Cyn, wondering how she'd take the knew idea, but desired to go along with it. "Actualy, Mr Nemian." She said, finding the confidence in her voice for the first time that day. "I've actually just received some new orders." For the first time since sitting down, Hanna felt like she was in control of the situation. "And... I'd like to ask for your help on our next assignment." Questioning him, and now asking him to join in on the quest? Cyn mulled that over, only to find herself grinning. "I'd love to see the old coot in action, unless...you're out of shape," Cyn commented towards Gregor, her tone teasing. Her mind shifted to the new objective; the idea of another stash of goods piqued her interest. Maybe there would be something cool there for the taking. Not that the MC would allow her to take it; she frowned for a second before brightening again. Gregor looked puzzled, which Hanna sort of expected. Shifting from a sudo-interrogation to asking for his assistance must've sounded suspicious, but Hanna had a feeling in the pit of her stomach. A normal person being accused of something they hadn't done would jump at the chance to prove themselves. Slowly, Gregor extended his hand. Hanna's heart froze, but only for a moment. Gregor reached for a napkin to wipe his mustache, then slowly stood up. "Of course, whatever you need. Give me a good chance to clear my name as well." He slowly reached for the swords leaning on his table, and slipped them into his belt. "tell me, where are we headed next?" Hanna relaxed a little, quickly thinking up a believable lie. "First, we need to report back to our ship, it's coming to pick us up as we speak." She began, finding it a little worrying how easily she could lie to people. She liked to think she was more straightforward than that. "I'll brief you when I know more." She took a step towards the harbor, hanging her hand on the hilt of her sword. She nodded to Cyn on the way passed, hoping that she would go along with this little scheme. "Please follow me." Cyn popped up from her seat. "Then it's settled. We have a date with a ship and an assignment." She couldn't wait to see Florz's reaction when they returned with Gregor; no doubt he'd have his reservations. For now though, there was a new adventure awaiting. Best part; she was being paid to do it. "No time like the present." Right on call, the transmitter in their ear buzzed to life again. "Sorry Hanna, i had to step away for a second." He waited a moment, apparently waiting for a response. When neither of them did, a slight panic came in his voice. "Guys? What's the plan?" Next Chapter - War of Attrition Category:RP Category:Chapter Category:Chapters Category:Storyline